10.00 hrs 26th August 2006
The Metropolitan Police spent over £2,000 on a party for gay rights activists, Christian Voice has learned. The party, a reception for European activists, was hosted by the 'Met' on the eve of the London Gay Pride Parade, 'Europride', in July this year. In answer to a Freedom of Information Act request from Christian Voice, the Met were forced only yesterday to disclose that they spent £2,172.25 - £22.86 per head - as 14 Met Police Officers entertained 39 European and 42
UK
representatives of "LGBT/Pride/HumanRights/Church Organisations".
£930 was spent on food, and £500 on 'Music'. Between them, the assembled police officers, of whom the most senior was Commander Steve Allen, head of the Met's Violent Crime Directorate, and the homosexual activists sunk an amazing £462- worth of 'house wine' and £112-worth of beer, which must equate to a bottle of wine and at least a couple of bottles of beer each.
Stephen Green, National Director of Christian Voice, said: "I hope no-one was driving home after downing that lot. Commander Allen must be aware of the link between alcohol and violent crime, and yet he set out to ply emotionally fragile people such as homosexual activists with drink. The Police said they were concerned for our safety when we set up a Christian witness at 'Europride' in the light of a threat stated in a homosexual newspaper. To fuel possible violence with drink is totally irresponsible.
"On top of that, the Metropolitan Police have squandered public money making themselves look 'gay-friendly.' The public do not expect the police to splash their money around sucking up to contentious political groups."
However, the police officer who claimed that a threat he had seen against Christian Voice gave him reason to move the group's Europride protest site back from the parade, Chief Inspector Steve Deehan, has been undermined by the Met's inability to provide details of the paper in which the alleged threat was made, and their categorical statement that 'no threat was made regarding the presence of Christian Voice or any other organisation at the Europride Parade'.
Stephen Green concluded: "When you can't trust a police officer to tell you the truth, what is the world coming to?"
ENDS
